Winds of Change
by Kronos
Summary: ** Chapter 3 Uploaded!** Set three months after Meteor has been stopped. Several forces are set to collide with someone intent on continuing Hojo's work, while Cloud deals with his own problems. Rufus and the Turks also have their own plans.....
1.

Winds of Change  The rain was light and soft and it pattered down amongst the ruins of the once proud city of Midgar, slowly turning the ground to soft mud. The destruction stretched as far as the eye could see and all that was left was a mass of broken stones and rubble. In the three months that the city had been deserted, shrubs and vines had sprung up in abundance, nature claiming back what had once been hers. 

On a small hill overlooking the ruins, a single figure stood, surveying the damage. A tall man, he stood motionless seemingly unaware of the rain. His long white coat flapped in the breeze as he stared over what had been his home. He wasn't sure why he had returned to this place, but seeing it again made the memories flood back. 

It seemed like only yesterday that he had pulled from the rubble, half dead from dehydration and hunger. For two days he had been trapped in a tomb of metal and concrete, the remnants of his own empire. His left leg had been half crushed, and it had only been in the last week that he had been able to walk unaided. He would always have a limp though. A reminder of what had happened. 

_I knew I wouldn't die though. I can't until I finish my work_

It had been Elena who had found him. Of all the Turks, she was the one who would always follow orders no matter what. She had found him, freed him and helped his speedy recovery. Why? Because she was Turk. They all had obligations to him. Even now when Shinra was nothing more then a shadow. Tseng was still missing, probably dead. Reno was dangerous - too much ambition, and far too smart for his own good. Rude was capable, but Reno easily influenced him. No he thought, Elena is the one I can depend on the most. 

He hadn't wasted the recovery time he needed by doing nothing. He had milked the Turks for every single piece of information he could, and made plans accordingly. Sephiroth was dead, and Meteor gone. Hard to believe that the ragged, amateur crew he had met in the Shinra Tower long ago had managed such a feat. 

_I can't afford to underestimate them this time. I need more power before I can face them again and erase their miserable lives for good._

Of course the destruction of Midgar had been Weapon's doing, not theirs. However his defeat at their hands still bit deeply into his pride. His excellent spy network was back in operation, and he knew exactly where every single one of them were, and what they were doing. In time they would all pay. 

However there were more important matters at hand now. In the short time since the Meteor crisis, the world had changed. New governments had arisen, and alliances had been formed. Newcomers had taken up the reigns of power in the various cities of the world. It was going to take time to insert himself back into this arena. But he had plenty of time. Time to once more rise to the top where he was meant to be. 

Already, events had been set in motion. Lying low, he had gathered the remaining troops that were loyal to him. Not many had survived the chaos, but in time their numbers would grow. 

Out of all the information the Turks had given him, one was the most interesting. It seemed he wasn't the only survivor of Midgar, for Scarlet and Heidegger, his former lackeys were alive. As he was believed dead, most of the old Shinra army had followed them and as a result they had taken Junon by force. They were using this as a base of operations for who knew what. There were already rumors of war beginning. 

He laughed softly. Those two had always been greedy for power. People bowed to them out of fear, for they had no adversaries left. Well they would soon enough. It was going to be most interesting to pay them a visit and put them both down for good. 

However, at the moment they had all the advantages, except one. Surprise. In his weakened state, he would need something to match them. Something they would not expect. Something better then military power. 

_Perhaps Dr Gast's old lab in the north can give me that. Hojo truly believed I didn't know he was going there, week after week, working on his own schemes. Whatever he was working on, it must be powerful indeed. Otherwise he wouldn't have been so secretive. This could be just what I need._

Rufus smiled and looked up to the sky, the rain running down his face. It was cool and fresh on his skin. He turned and slowly made his way down the hill away from the abandoned city, never looking back. 


	2. 

The Legacy  The snow crunched under his feet as he made his way slowly towards the lab, staying in the shadows despite the late hour. At this time of night, the usually lively little village was silent. Clouds smothered the moon, which made his task easier. His dark coat blended with the shadows, his blonde hair hidden by a hood. Discretion was essential for this, and he was not a man that made mistakes. 

He soon reached his destination, a small house that looked exactly the same as the others. Bright lights shone through the windows of the nearby weapons store, but they were easy to avoid. He darted past and made it to the small covered area near the entrance to the lab. 

A man was there, leaning casually against the wall by the door. He was tall and built like a wall, thick muscles bulging beneath his heavy winter clothing. There would probably be a gun concealed under there as well. He was bald, his face a testament to many fights and brawls. Several teeth were missing and a deep scar from his left cheek traveled all the way to the corner of his mouth. They had met on several occasions before. 

He had expected this - indeed, he would have been surprised if there was no guard. There would be another guard somewhere as well; both had been paid a hefty sum to keep this place off limits. He himself had kept their money going through his contacts in the village until he was ready to return here. He strode up to the man, who walked to meet him. 

"Still earning your pay Rhyse?" He asked the bigger man. 

The guard grinned, displaying yellow tobacco stained teeth. "Always. All been quiet for over two month now. Was starting to think you weren't coming back at all. But the money keeps coming, so I keep working. You want to go in? You know the drill." He produced a small electronic pad from his pocket 

He grimaced. Time was wasting. "Come on Rhyse you know me, must we go through this again?" 

The other man shrugged. "Rules are rules. There's some dangerous shit in there. I can't let just anyone go in. Just cause Hojo's dead doesn't change that." 

He controlled his irritation and pressed his thumb onto the pad. There was a faint whir as the fingerprint scanner recorded his identification, and after a minute's wait a green light pulsed, clearing him. 

Rhyse grunted with satisfaction and put the device away. He produced a set of keys and proceeded to disable several locks on the door. When this task as complete he stepped away. 

"All yours Ridley. Let me know when you're done whatever it is you do in there." 

Rhyse had never been inside the building he guarded. He did his job and didn't ask questions, which was exactly as Ridley liked it. 

He opened the door and stepped into darkness. Fumbling for the light switch he knew was there, he clicked it on and a dim light illuminated the room. He quickly closed the door and walked down the few steps to the lab that had once been Dr Gast's. That had once been Hojo's. Now, which was his. 

The place was sparsely furnished and very neat. Benches lined the walls, and several pieces of complex lab equipment took up the vast majority of space. It was small and cramped, but Hojo had wanted this place because of the isolation. As his assistant, Ridley was the only other person who had known of his secret experiments. Even then, he didn't know much at all. Only enough to know it was worth keeping secret from Rufus and Shinra. 

Now Hojo was dead, and it was up to Ridley to finish his work. During the commotion surrounding the death of Sephiroth and the downfall of Shinra he had found himself imprisoned in Junon along with several other Shinra employees believed to be spies. It had taken three months to clear his name, and earn his release. During this time he had still managed to keep in regular contact with Rhyse to make sure no one had disturbed the lab. Now he was here at last. To see what Hojo had left behind. 

Ridley shrugged off his heavy overcoat, shaking tiny particles of ice onto the metal floor. He removed his gloves and ran a hand through his long blonde hair. His icy blue eyes went immediately to the safe embedded into the far wall. That was where it would be. 

He crossed the floor, footsteps echoing in the empty room. The safe was locked and he entered the combination he had memorized by heart. There was a slight creak as it opened and revealed its treasure. A large bulky envelope sat alone on the shelf. 

Ridley carefully took the envelope and placed it on the nearby table. He sat down on the room's single chair and broke the seal. He found his breathing growing faster with excitement. At last he had it! 

First he produced a thick folder, full of various documents. Two vials followed this both stopped with corks. One was full of what appeared to be blood, while the other had a strange purple liquid. Tiny fragments of something unrecognizable floated inside. He set these carefully aside for a moment and finally removed a single piece of paper from the envelope. It was covered in scrawl he knew as Hojo's writing. 

_Ridley, _

If you are reading this then I will be dead, killed by Shinra, outsiders or perhaps even Sephiroth himself. Unfortunate as this is, there is still much work to be done and it is now your task to complete this. I write this now because there is every chance I shall not survive tomorrow. Rufus and Shinra are too obsessed with politics to understand, and I have kept this a secret from them for that exact reason. 

Have you ever seen Sephiroth? I told you he was my son, and possibly the most powerful life form to ever exist on this planet. Yet he can be killed, and eventually he will be. Perhaps that has not happened yet, but it will in time. It has taken me many weeks, as the equipment I work with here is not nearly as advanced as that at Shinra, but the results are in the vials you now possess. 

One contains a sample of Sephiroth's blood I took from him long ago. You are a smart man Ridley, I'm sure you realize why I have given you this. The file will assist you. The other contains the last remaining sample of Jenova's cells I possess. If Jenova is destroyed now, you have the only sample left anywhere in the world. You know its powers, and by tomorrow I will know first hand what Jenova can do. This is my legacy, which you will bring to the world so they will never forget my name. I trust you will do the right thing by me Ridley. Make the world see what genius I possessed. With these two vials, you are one of the most powerful people in the world. 

A final note. If Rufus or the Turks are still alive, do not trust them. They were always too foolish and conceited to realize how they wasted my talents. Make sure they do not get their hands on my last gift to the world that rejected me. 

Ridley put the letter aside and quickly scanned a few pages of the file. Hojo was right, it contained a wealth of information. Everything he needed to finish the work. Not here though. Too many people knew of this place, and he had his suspicions the Turks would soon be around. They always knew more then you expected. No, for this he would need another place where he could work undisturbed. He had an idea where that would be. 

He carelessly crumpled up the letter and tossed it aside. He quickly retrieved his coat and gloves, collected the file and vials, and went back outside. 

Rhyse was still where he had left him, smoking a cigarette. The big man looked in interest at his new possessions. 

"Get what you wanted?" 

Ridley smiled. "Indeed, and much more then I expected. This place is no longer safe though. We're relocating." 

Rhyse raised an eyebrow, but didn't object. 

Ridley reached into his coat pocket and produced a large leather pouch, which he tossed to the guard. It clinked and jingled. 

"There should be more then enough gil there. Go find some more men, and some sort of truck. I need some of this lab equipment to come with me. I'll organize a private boat from Bone Village. We're leaving this continent." 

Rhyse listened and grinned. "About time I got to do something. This is something big hey Ridley?" He left without waiting to hear the answer, leaving Ridley alone once again. 

A smile crossed his youthful face. Hojo had left everything to him. With this, there was nothing beyond his reach, and once he was finished the whole world would know he was the one to fear. 

"Indeed it is my friend." Ridley said, answering the question even though no one else could hear. "This is the beginning of a new reign. Sephiroth will make Hojo proud again. And I will be there to reap the benefits." 

His laughter was the only sound in the otherwise still night. 


	3. A Soldier's Grief

A Soldier's Grief 

Scarlet stared out of the massive window of her Junon headquarters, not really seeing the incredible ocean view that was laid out before her. She was too preoccupied for that; there was so much to be done! Heidegger should have been here ten minutes ago, and that fact was not improving her already sour mood. She turned from the window and looked with distaste at the men and women working frantically at computer consoles in the large control room. She hated all of them, they were like sheep - always willing to follow, and they were all spineless worms! 

She was a beautiful woman, a fact she was well aware of and often used to get what she wanted. She was tall for a woman, with long blonde hair. The dress she wore was red - it was the only colour she would wear - and covered here shapely form perfectly. Her deep blue eyes would have been striking except for the cruelty and coldness that never left them. She rarely smiled. 

Her high heels clicked on the floor as she made her way towards the door, intent on finding Heidegger herself. She snorted in irritation. The fat fool was probably drunk in a seedy bar somewhere again. 

It turned out she was wrong, for the door opened and he casually walked in, a couple of guards trailing behind him. He was a short chubby man with a bristling black beard that covered half his face. He reminded her of a barrel with hair. She hid her repugnance as always though. She still needed this guy, much as she hated to admit it. He had connections, and controlled the majority of their troops. That would change soon enough. 

"About time!" Scarlet snapped. "Where the hell have you been?" 

As usual Heidegger ignored her fury. He shrugged his shoulders and laughed. 

"Prisoners rebelled again. These Junon bastards are stubborn. They won't give up, we almost had another riot on our hands." 

Junon survivors had been forced to keep on working at their duties in the city: only now it was for Scarlet. She didn't believe in keeping wasteful prisoners, and the most mundane tasks had been forced on them, while her own men took over the military positions. Obviously, the Junon people didn't think much of this arrangement. This was the third rebellion this week. 

"Fine, if that's how they want it. Pick ten of them at random and execute them. Firing squad. Make sure it's done in front of the others." That should keep them in check she thought. 

Heidegger nodded and dispatched two guards for this task. They didn't look very happy, but left none the less. Scarlet ignored them. 

"Are the repairs complete?" 

"Yep. Cannons are all functional. Machine guns have been set up for the perimeter." Heiddeger looked quite pleased with himself about that. 

Junon was the most fortified city in the world, which was exactly why she had wanted it as a base for her thrust for power. Unfortunately, this also made it difficult to take. Luckily for them most of the Junon military were easily swayed as the chaos Sephiroth and Meteor had created slowly died, and it hadn't been hard to convince most of them to join her cause. In her experience, soldiers didn't care who they worked for, as long as they got paid and got the spoils of victory. Some however hadn't seen her way and a few skirmishes had broken out. Still, it didn't take long to claim the city as hers. Not that the citizens thought much of that, but there was nothing they could do. The military ran this place. 

"Good. We're well established here now. Soon we can focus on Wutai." 

Heidegger laughed again. He did that a lot, and it irritated her a bit more every single time. 

"Wutai will be no problem. They are helpless under that idiot Godo. With our troops we'll crush them into the dirt." 

"You would be wise not to underestimate them. Godo is weak, but his daughter leads their troops. She has managed to revitalize that place and it's not a pushover anymore. The whole reason they claimed independence is because she pushed for it." 

"You truly think she can beat us Scarlet? You're getting too soft, this will be as easy as taking Junon was." Heidegger clenched his meaty hand. "I'll look forward to capturing that girl… and then personally putting a bullet in her head!" 

Not until I've interrogated her you won't, Scarlet thought. That pesky girl must know what happened to the huge materia. I must have that first. Then I can act. Perhaps there is a way I can avoid this battle, and the risk of some idiot killing her. 

"Perhaps we should try reasoning first. I want you to set up a meeting with Godo." 

Heidegger obviously hadn't expected that, he looked up in surprise at the taller woman. "What? Why? Let's just kill them Scarlet! With Wutai under our control, we can take the world!" He almost yelled the last word. 

That was all Heidegger wanted: to be able to rule over the common people. Her ambitions were much bigger then mere power - she already had that. He wasn't aware of her hidden agenda, and that was the way she liked it. He was a pitiful excuse for a human being, but she couldn't afford to take any unnecessary risks. Better to keep him on side for now. 

"Don't question me." She kept her voice calm. "All will become clear soon. I promised you power, and I will deliver it. But we do things my way! Do you have a problem with that?" She glared at him. 

He backed down just as she knew he would. "Of course not Scarlet. I'll contact Godo immediately." 

"Do that. Anything else to report?" 

Heidegger nodded. "Something strange. The last couple of days some of the men have reported seeing someone nosing around their guard stations." 

She sighed. Could no one think for themselves? "So a local is curious about the increase in soldiers. Big deal. Get rid of him" 

"You don't get it Scarlet. He's bald and supposedly always wears a dark blue suit and sunglasses. Even at night." Heidegger looked troubled. 

She realized what he was talking about; there was only one man that could be. Rude! Impossible, they were all dead! The Turks were killed in Midgar… weren't they? If they had survived, what were they doing here? She had always despised the Turks, and for Rude to be here now… She had to find out what his plans were and find out just how much he knew. 

"I want him found Heidegger. I don't care how long it takes. Offer a reward, 20,000 gil to the person or persons who can bring him to me alive! If Rude's here we have to assume Reno and Elena are out there as well." She didn't like the way her voice had lost confidence. Even she was careful about the Turks. 

Heidegger nodded, his smile had also vanished. He turned and left the room without a word. 

She didn't even bother to watch him go, but turned back to the window. This time she appreciated the seemingly endless ocean. It reminded her of herself - powerful, able to take lives or save them. She knew which one she enjoyed more. As soon as she had the huge materia… no one would stand in her way. Not the Turks, not Strife and his friends - no one. 

"Looks like we missed the party Elena." Reno said. He leaned casually against the wall as they surveyed the near empty lab. 

The blonde woman by his shoulder walked past him into the middle of the room. Her eyes quickly scanned the bare walls, open empty cupboards and the open safe on the far side. She knew Rufus wasn't going to be happy with this. 

He had sent them to investigate the old lab, apparently believing Hojo may have left something valuable there. Elena didn't question how he knew this, and from the looks of it he had been right. Only they had been too late to find it. The lack of guards had indicated that as soon as they arrived. 

Reno took off his shades and slipped them into his coat pocket. His red hair seemed to glow in the mixture of artificial and natural light from outside as he sauntered over to her. He carried a solid steel rod over one shoulder - he never seemed to be without it. Elena had a pistol hidden under her coat, for they had expected resistance. Now they had nothing. 

She noted that many of the benches were still covered with dust. The small table seemed to be the only thing clean. She could still make out faint footprints in the dust that covered the floor. Whoever had been here, hadn't been gone long 

"They haven't left too long ago. Maybe only a couple of days. Whoever it was, they got what they came for obviously." 

Reno smirked. "Very observant of you Elena. Rufus ain't gonna like this news." 

She ignored his sarcasm, and it was then she spotted it - a small crumpled ball of paper lay in the far corner. She crossed the room and retrieved it. As she read it, Reno saw her face change from disappointment to horror. 

"Reno, we've got problems." She handed him the paper. As he scanned it, he saw what she meant. He swore loudly. 

"Damn, Rufus really ain't gonna like _this_ news!" 

The moon shone brightly over the old weathered shack that stood alone in the grasslands near Gongaga, a single mark man had pressed onto nature. It was in good shape considering its age, and made a comfortable living area for him. 

Cloud Strife hadn't gone to this place for comfort though, only isolation. How long had he been here? A month, two or three? He wasn't sure. Out here time seemed to flow and melt together until night and day seemed the same. The former Shinra soldier sat fully clothed on his narrow bunk, gazing aimlessly over what had become his home. Another sleepless night. 

His possessions were few and they were scattered over the floor with no thought to neatness or organization. The place was small: comprising of only a kitchen, bathroom and living room which doubled as his bedroom. A large fireplace dominated one wall, a fire burning cheerfully inside. A stack of wood was piled close by. Apart from his bunk and a solid oak table with two chairs, the rest of the room was void of furniture. A mirror was the only decoration on one wall. He didn't need much to get by. 

He stood and caught his reflection in the mirror. He was shocked that he hardly recognized himself. Several days worth of beard adorned his chin and his spiky yellow hair was greasy and dry. A far cry from the strong, handsome leader he had been only months ago. 

_Feels like years ago now. At least no one can see me so weak out here._

So much had changed in such a short time that sometimes it didn't feel like it was real. In a way he wished this was all a dream and he would just wake up and things would be as they once were. Deep down he knew he was fooling himself. Something had changed in him during the Meteor crisis. He had lost something very special with the death of Aeris. He had thought he could reclaim that when he killed Sephiroth by his own hand. Instead it felt like he had lost a part of himself again. 

_Aeris isn't coming back. She's a part of the Lifestream now. I couldn't save her. Sephiroth's dead as well, but I don't feel any better. Am I going to end up like him?_

He remembered the moment after he had finally vanquished Sephiroth, his former Commander and a man who had been a friend. He had expected to feel some sense of satisfaction for revenging Aeris, but he hadn't felt anything. Just emptiness inside that never seemed to leave. 

Tifa had been the one to stay with him for long hours, her presence a simple comfort. His feelings were mixed about her. She was his oldest friend, but was it more then that? He wasn't sure what he felt anymore. He hadn't seen her for a long time now, shunning all company to be alone with his grief. He wanted to be with her, but there was a part of him that couldn't handle being with anyone anymore. He was certain she would have moved here with him if he had asked… but he hadn't. 

_I can't ask her to do that, because I can't protect her anymore. Can't protect any of them, not even myself_

Cloud knew he wasn't going to wield a sword again. He had killed Sephiroth, run him through dozens of times with that blade, and it hadn't taken away any of his anger, pain, or hate. Killing never did anything for anyone. He had left his sword with Tifa, because he knew he wouldn't use it again. He had grown to hate combat, and everything it represented. 

He had no idea where all his old comrades were anymore. Scattered across the world, each returning to what they had fought for he supposed. He was jealous of their simple lives. He wondered if they ever thought of him. 

Cloud turned out the light and tried to find sleep in amongst the nightmares that continued to torment him. 


End file.
